It wasn't quite the incredible scenes in the snow that played out back in November, but TD Place in Ottawa hosted yet another wild match in Atlético Ottawa's 2026 home opener.
A late equalizer from Emiliano García stole what would have been Vancouver FC's first win of 2026, and first ever in Ottawa during 102 minutes of madness in the nation's capital.
"I'm really proud of the performance, the mentality, the attitude, dleaing with adversity," said Vancouver goalkeeper Callum Irving. "Today we got a goal, which is a step forward, and a point which is a step forward from the first three games.
"But naturally, like everyone else in the locker room, I'm disappointed, because we did enough to get three points and yet again, we didn't. We don't train hard every week to come and lose and draw on the weekend."
The late goal extended Atleti's record at TD Place to an incredible 24 straight matches in all competitions without a loss.
Vancouver FC's eleven featured a bit of a surprise, as attacker Thierno Bah was left out of the starting lineup for the first time this season in favour of Terran Campbell -- who played a more central role with Mohamed Amissi shifting to the wing. Midfielder Nicolás Mezauida also returned to the starting lineup.
Atlético Ottawa, meanwhile, gave Roni Mbombio his first start of the season as he joined the back three, with Jonantán Villal replacing Kamron Habibullah in the front three.
With the hosts looking to build out of the back, Vancouver FC pressed well in the early stages and forced Atleti into some undisciplined passes that they turned over and created chances.
Unfortunately, they were forced to make an early change as Damiano Pecile needed to be replaced by Luis Toomey in the 28th minute.
Atleti did still break through in spurts, and at the half-hour mark, moved the ball well to create a first shot on target of the match for Juan Castro. His shot from distance, however, was easily collected by Callum Irving.
As the capital club progressed the ball further up the pitch, Vancouver began threatening more in counter-attacking situations. Winning a corner on one such moment in the 42nd minute, they had several brilliant chances to take the lead.
First, Atleti captain Manny Aparicio cleared Matteo Campagna's effort from the goal line, before Amissi flicked a backpost header to Campbell. He got too far under the ball, however, and sent it over the net. For a team still searching for their first goal of the season, it was another in a long series of frustrating moments in front of the goal. The first half ended scoreless.
Vancouver went back on the attack to begin the second half, and in the 51st minute, Garissone Innocent made a lovely stop to deny Aboubacar Traore's attempt from outside the box.
Disatisfied with what he was seeing, Atleti's Diego Mejía made a pair of substitutions in the 56th minute, switching out both wing-backs and bringing in Joaquim Coulanges and Gabriel Antinoro.
The match then flipped on its head with a wild sequence starting in the 58th minute. After a mazy run, Atleti's Ballou Tabla was brought down in the box. Initially, he was shown a yellow card for simulation, but after Atleti used their FVS challenge, the call was reversed and the hosts were handed a penalty.
Newcomer Santiago López stepped up but had his shot denied by a diving Callum Irving. Vancouver then quickly went the other way, and added insult to injury for the hosts. Morey Doner clipped a lovely ball into the path of Amissi, who headed home his first CPL goal, and the club's first of the season, to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
In the 78th minute, Vancouver FC had a penalty shout of their own as Bah went down in the box, but after another FVS review, this time it was not awarded.
Amissi then had a great chance to add a second in the 88th minute, but Coulanges did incredibly well to get back and make the block.
If the Eagles thought they were out of the woods when the match reached the 90th minute, they were given a rude awakening when the fourth official raised his board to show 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time.
Atleti thought they had another strong penalty shout three minutes into that time as it looked like Emiliano García was brought down in the box. But after yet another FVS review, the referee waived away the appeals.
But the tale still had another twist. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, substitute Habibullah picked out García, who chipped the ball past Irving to equalize for Atleti.
Vancouver had one last attempt at a goal from a Luis Toomey free kick in the tenth minute of stoppage time, but his effort was blocked.
After 102 minutes of action, the final whistle sounded, with the sides splitting the points.
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Atlético Ottawa: Innocent; Mbomio, Abatneh (Habibullah 84') , Cloutier (Kozlovskiy 69'); Timoteo (Antinoro 56'), Castro, Aparicio, Assi (Coulanges 56'); Tabla, López (Aguilar 69'), Villal (García 64')
Vancouver FC: Irving; Doner, Campagna, Field (Proctor 67'), Gee; Polisi, Pecile (Toomey 28'), Mezquida (Fotsing 85'); Traore (Godbout 90+4'), Campbell (Bah 67'), Amissi
Goals
61' -- Mohamed Amissi (Vancouver FC)
90+7' -- Emiliano García (Atlético Ottawa)
Discipline
21' — Yellow: Marcello Polisi (Vancouver FC)
45+4' -- Yellow: Luis Toomey (Vancouver FC)
72' -- Yellow: Mohamed Amissi (Vancouver FC)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Mohamed Amissi, Vancouver FC
The Burundi international winger scored Vancouver FC's first goal of 2026, a reward for another strong shift in attack. Playing first as a winger and then a centre-forward across the 90 minutes, Amissi had three shot attempts, and three chances created.
What’s next?
Atlético Ottawa head down the road to take on rivals Inter Toronto on Friday, May 1 (7:30 p.m. ET)
Vancouver FC will take on rivals Pacific FC in the first Salish Sea Derby of 2026 at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria on Sunday, May 3 (4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET)
For broadcast details of the 2026 CPL season, go to cplsoccer.com/watch.